Good video, Thank you Greg. 1. 4 fletch means one more feather per arrow cost, also more assembly time. 2. 4 fletch may give you a nocking advantage when not looking at your arrow, while nocking it. You can nock it either way and still be right. 3. 4 fletch is more visible. 4. Depending on your quiver 3 fletch fit all snuggled in the quiver better. 5. 3 fletch saves cost and time for arrow assembly. 6. 3 fletch arguably looks cooler because of the offset feather color. 7. Both 3 and 4 fletch fly well so it is personal preference in the end.

Thanks again for the video. The theory is that the 4 fletch is supposed to rotate the arrow faster for stabilization and smaller groups to correct micro release mistakes. Like you said at 40 yds, probably no appreciable difference. At longer distances it may help the arrow. But its suppose to stabilize it better than a 3 fletch. So if the 4 fletch is less prone to cross winds and shoots better at long distances and as well as short distances. Maybe it's the best way to go. In my opinion. For my shooting a use the 3 fletch arrows. A broadhead acts like fletching, so I think you need larger 3 fletch arrow height to stabilize those arrows. My opinion.

Very thorough and you are a great shot sir 👍

I am a big believer in knowing your equipment and what it does. If you are comfortable with it and can hit consistently and as accurate as you can that is what matters.

Enjoyed the video. To clarify...I'm not a math major. That being said...the 4 vane Does weigh more, and it is slower. By pushing the yardage out...you can conclude that with a heavier arrow, extra drag (4th vane) ...it will drop more in fps...which will affect Foot Pounds of connitic energy. As a game hunter this IS important.

Be good to see a 2v3v4 feather comparison for hunting and competition shooting, you do the most accurate comparisons imo so be good to see how the 2 flights do..!

Thanks for doing this video. I’m glad to know I can leave my fletching jig alone! My reason for using 3 feathers is because it’s cheaper and faster to fletch arrows. Good to know it makes no difference! 😁

Thanks for the video Gregory. I appreciate the time and effort

Good information. Thanks for sharing this video because the old saying is true you learn something new everyday

From 3 to 4 fletch would be more surface and more drag as long as the feather is the same length. As shown in the video you will most likely not notice it in short distance. But the answer would be easy, a flu-flu arrow have a lot more feather and slows down fast. The same will happen from 3 to 4

So true for me. R and A as of this writing is so much more important than the T in my scores. I often shoot with damaged feathers to continue to prove that point to myself (Spine on a #45 Super Grizzly is another matter though!). BTW, loved the country quiet of your outdoor range! Thank you as always for your informative and caring videos.

Thank You sir for sharing the best stuff on YT👍

Yah, 1 feather. What, I might be losing losing a fraction of a second by using that 4th fletch? Oh, Greg, here you go using common sense again, accuracy of the equipment is operator dependent! Thanks for making the sacrifice and testing in that cold, another fun video.

I am interested in the fletching vids at present. I always why some use 3 and some use 4 feathers. I guess maybe I was chewin my nails over nothing. I shot field at a 26 or 28 target field range in the woods, 15 ft to 80 yards. I was only mediocre. I shot some pretty hot scores from 10-30 yard targets and on an indoor Robin Hood round i shot 89 of 90 arrows in the bull at the 3 ranges. I walked out at # 90 because of some problems with kids in the line next to adults (me) interfering with my shooting. That was the best round I ever shot. I shot a food score in my D barebow class but there was no one to challenge me. Now to the point...I let my pro make my strings, and make my arrows for target and field and also hunting but he never taught me anything about why this was this and that was that about my equipment. I didnt know about or ignored that stringing my bows using a stringer was so important but I had my recurve American Supreme 70" target bow in the shop to have the limbs straightened. I was dumb about all things important to having my equipment tuned to me and my arrows and other items tuned to my bow and me. Back in 71 when I started shooting way before You Tube, I was at the mercy of the elements and one element was money. My Pro cut me a lot of slack on some things and he taught me how to make strings. But my x-7 Easton target arrows even back then were 48 bucks a dozen and my xx-75s were about 40. I had some fiberglass arrows for stump shooting and as spares for hunting. I never learned to make arrows or even refletch them. Now I am re-starting my favorite past time and am learning from scratch. I know nothing about the modern arrows and sizes. I have owned 3 compound bows. I went back to shooting recurves only...just because of their simplicity, and because I could not hit a thing with a compound. I am 73 and cannot afford all the fancy equipment, and I don't have the room for it anyway. But I am moving forward and progressing. I need a stabilizer and I canot find one like I had way back in the good ol days. So I asked a buddy to help me do that. A steel bar and a slider. The bar will be threaded to nat'l standard and the rest we will be winging it. If my friend can design and build the Bounty Hunter, Truck Pull Champion of all time, he can machine a sliding weight stabilizer. Wish me luck. (Just say "yer pullin fer me" hehehe.)

Comes down to knowing your equipment and ability what your comfortable with

Greg, good one. From when I started 35+ years ago I was told 4 fletch will straighten out the arrow sooner, don't know if it works.I shot 4 fletch some and found no difference so I shoot 3 fletch. To each their own thank you.

I have found the difference when shooting in windy conditions . That's all I've seen practically . I use 75/105 - 4 fletch on My Habu Vyperkhan hybrid and when I owned Black Widow recurve .

I shoot 4 fletch on my compound because I like the look and I plan on shooting 300 grains up front this deer season and my fixed blade comes out a little wierd I need alot of drag behind to steer all that weight. But on my recurve I just shoot 3 because I dont alot of drag for target shooting

Two at each 180° side seems best for accuracy.

Trick question ?? 1 feather. lol...l have a few 4 feather arrows, some with a helical. Great vid.

I had clearence problems with 4 feathers and especially on flat bows wit tiny shelf's... Indoor, 5", parabolic.

A 20 min video for an answer that could be delivered in 20 seconds max!

The speed difference off the mark can't be any more than one-foot per second based on one feather weighing on average 2-3 grains, but as the arrow travels farther out the tiny difference the less drag has will let the three fletched lose speed slower and the four fletched shall correct quicker by virtue of having more surface area for aerodynamics to work against. But the amount is so small for both that, as you say the archer themselves induce far greater variations.

Hey I have a question for you. I just bought a Hoyt Pro Medalist Hunter bow. The guy I bought it from was a hunter and spray painted it Camo. I want to doing it back to its normal beauty. Can you tell me some tips to remove paint but not harm the finish of the bow. Thank you

i use two fletch these days, and have no issues.

Thanks 101.

It is to measure the "exact" difference which becomes complicated without having all the instruments to do it. What is certain, however, is that 4 feathers have more contact with the ambient air than 3. You can call me captain obvious for having said that. But as I learned from you in archery , everything depends on yourself ( up to 70%) more than the equipment used only (unless everything is wrong in our equipment of course). Have a nice day and take care.

I hunt n some shots are much longer than any you were using... I have found that4 flights work best in an average... Because they keep the arrow on track n less " paradox" after launch down range.. 3 flights can n do,drop off n do not allow the PUNCH.. At the delivery point for the harvest! I have seen n made = arrows , 525 grains, one with 3 flights , one with 4... The 3 flight bounced off of the deer! The 4 flight knocked the next deer off of it's feet!???? Soooo, YUP... I use for messa n open forest hunting with 500(+) grain ash arrows.. N steel points.. Or in certain competions knapped churt points! Just sharing n not contradicting anyone!!!!!

Hi greg, i want to ask about flu-flu fletcher, standard flecher, and twist fletcher. What the effect about 3 of it? Thanks

Get 'you' squared away... 👍🏽

On that test 4flech seems quieter. (Or deeper sound)

I imagine about the same difference for two fletch vs. three. (Some guys I shoot with do two fletch)

How many pounds it that bow

an arrow should only need one feather for vertical alignment and one feather for horizontal alignment.....then you should be able to shoot vanes off the shelf. Maybe?

nice

Yup. But it looks cool...

I shoot four feathers . Just switched a few months ago . Why ? Cause I'm lazy . Don't have to care about cock feather anymore . (Not that it's that critical to trad shooting . But hey I'm still lazy ) That and I like the look . I suspected pretty much what you showed would happen . Though I expected greater drop after 10 yards . That's fun thks Greg . Keep having fun !

I do have a small issue with the test, The feather length on both arrows are the same, which will give the 4 fletch more surface area, ( 3 @4" = 12" surface, 4@4" is 16" of surface area ) Now I only see this causing a difference in the drop off speed, also when doing the 20 yard indoor shot, you keep compensating to hit center of the target which to me only shows your adaptability what happens when you forget about hitting center of the target and only concentrate on using the same point of aim each time. Which arrow groups more consistently and how does the flight differ from one to the other.

I don't think this testing is quite right. Let's do a test using a right handed bow, Greg. ;)

What pound bow is that?

Irrational on my part but I just don't like the look of a 4 feather.

Go down 5 pounds on your bow. It will help being steady.

Thanks for doing this video. I’m glad to know I can leave my fletching jig alone! My reason for using 3 feathers is because it’s cheaper and faster to fletch arrows. Good to know it makes no difference! 😁